Half-Life has them. Duke Nukem has them. Doom 3, too. Alongside fast-paced running and gunning, four-figure bodycounts, and a penchant for gore and sleaze, the boomer shooter is instantly recognizable by one seemingly innocuous background object: the vending machine. Head to the cafeteria section of Black Mesa, and you can spam-buy cans of soda until the dispenser runs dry. Kick one open as Duke, and you might get a small health bonus. Combining myriad classic influences, including Monolith’s beloved cult blaster Blood, a new roguelike and FPS game turns cold cans of cola into a core mechanic – and it’s already earned almost-spotless reviews.
This is Cruel, from solo developer and publisher James Dornan. A roguelike and FPS game combined, you start on the bottom floor of a possessed hotel and need to battle your way to the very top. Standing in your way are chainsaw-wielding, cloak-wearing cultists who feel plucked right out of Blood, or maybe Dusk, if you want a more recent reference. The visuals are chunky and pixelated, and the fluid pace and gallons of gore are knowingly reminiscent of the original Doom, or perhaps Duke Nukem 3D.
But there’s a twist. As well as the cultists, you’re also fighting against the hotel itself. As you progress, a furious fire follows behind you, destroying the environment in your wake. You can’t turn back. If you aren’t aggressive and quick enough, you’ll be engulfed. Double-barrel shotguns, .38 revolvers, and your trusty steel-toe-cap boot (Duke would be proud) will keep you alive, but you also need to collect those precious, precious cans of soda. They refill health. They also unlock powerful upgrades.
Between each floor of the hotel, you can choose different ability cards to help you in your next chaotic firefight (no pun intended). Do you want larger magazines for your guns or do you want to slow the spread of the pursuing fire? There are ten floors in total and different ways to approach each playthrough. Improve your aim, dance through the cultists’ bullets, and choose the most auspicious upgrades to help boost your score.
Released on Thursday January 9, of all the Steam reviews posted for Cruel so far, 96% are positive. It’s also available for a supremely reasonable $9.99 / £8.50. If you want to play it, just head here.
Otherwise, enjoy some more boomer shooter thrills with the best old games, or maybe take a look at the best indie games available on PC today.
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